Seldom do I use my blog as a platform to jump on my soapbox. Typically, I try to inspire. However, there are times when I also try to provoke thought by presenting an alternative point of view.

A few nights ago, I watched a story on the local, evening news about a robbery and a possible assault in an upscale neighborhood. Both the neighbors AND the reporter were incensed, and even offended, that crime had infiltrated, what the reporter described as a “swanky” community. I found the coverage and commentary perplexing, and frankly, a bit scary. It is asinine, and prideful, that people should expect, and in some cases, desire that crime be marginalized to neighborhoods with lower socioeconomic statuses. There is no community that is impenetrable to crime. There is no community that exists in isolation. In fact, isolationism is the antithesis of personal security and safety, and it typically stems from the most degenerative human vices: pride, greed and hate.

Pride and greed tell us that we can never have enough and that only we alone deserve to have it all. The concept of “survival of the fittest” may work in the animal kingdom, but it is not beneficial for human communities. Here is the problem. When we create skewed supply and demand systems, where only a few are equipped to succeed, we create marginalization. Marginalization oftentimes creates desperation. When people are backed into a corner, and their propensity for success is truncated, they often resort to crime. When we create communities where destitution and desperation is prevalent, we do not get to retreat to our ivory towers, throw up the moat and hope that the insurgents relent. Behaviors and mindsets that are being bred and developed in the adjacent communities will infiltrate.

There are those who will argue that each person is responsible for his or her action and that destiny is determined by an individual’s choice. I would argue that while that argument might be true to some extent, such conjecture is a fallacy. Again, we do not live in isolation. To make the argument of “to each his own” is try to absolve ourselves of our social responsibilities. In society, and in communities, we have a responsibility to more that just our families and ourselves.

I recently read an article about the push to end the free-lunch program. It reminded me of how short-sighted we can sometime be. Oftentimes, budget cuts are targeted at programs that support those who have the biggest need and the smallest voice. I would venture to guess that many of the decision makers are probably far-removed from the desperation that many program recipients face. Here is the honest truth. There will always be those who try to beat the system and slip through the cracks. Cheaters will always exist, and yes, we should have efficient checks and balances in place. However, do we punish those in need for the actions of a few? If the answer of societal obligation is not appealing, then self preservation might strike a cord. When people in these “swanky” communities invests in individuals from disenfranchised communities, crime actually decreases because people then feel as though they have options. When individuals’ options are increased, so is their sense of purpose. When people have viable options, and they have something to live for and to look forward to, they are less likely to jeopardize that by committing crimes. The problem is there are people in our culture that have a pauper’s mentality. They believe that supplies are limited and if shared, might cut into their portion. There are also those who have an even more sinister mentality. Their mentality is one of hatred, which is reflected in their actions. Both of those mentalities have excluded the grace and goodness of God. According to Jeremiah 29:11, God stated that he has a plan to give us hope and a future. God’s plan to prosper us asserts that heaven’s supplies are not limited and are not governed by scarcity.

Ultimately, as earthly cohabitants, we all have a responsibility to take care of each other. If nothing else, at the VERY LEAST, we have a responsibility to ourselves and to our families. Who know, by investing in others, we could very well end up sparing ourselves and our families from being accosted by the career criminal who dropped out of primary school because he couldn’t concentration on his lesson due to hunger-induced confusion. We never know. Life is filled with very many ironies!